The excitement of finally leaving Privet Drive for an extended period of time, to learn about our parent's world, to experience something more than the horrid lives the Dursley's created for us. Had made this month the longest I'd ever known.
The wait for September first had been agonizing, and to top it all the Dursley's no longer acknowledged mine or Harry's existence.
They no longer locked us under the cupboard, or starved us. Which was a positive. But after the initial enjoyment of watching Dudley run out of the room had worn off, it had gotten rather sad.
So both me and Harry had mostly kept to our room. I had read each book I had gotten in detail, and even taken notes. I was confident that I'd make good grades. Harry had read as well, but was no where near obsessed with his books like I was. All the while our Owl's had constantly brought back dead mice. Harry had named his Hedwig, after a name in he'd liked in A History of Magic. I'd done the same, naming mine Uric, after Uric the Oddball who wore jellyfish as a hat, A character I found amusing.
Finally the last day of August arrived, tomorrow we'd be off to Hogwarts and away from Privet Drive. The only problem was, how would we get to King's Cross?
"We have to ask them." I said annoyingly.
"Yes." Harry replied. I groaned then nodded.
"I best let you do the talking. After what they said about our parents...let's just say I don't have your strong morals." I replied grinning. Harry sighed.
"Let's get this over with."
We made our way down the stairs and found The Dursley's in the living room watching a quiz show. Harry cleared his throat and Dudley ran screaming from the room...I actually felt somewhat bad for him.
"Er — Uncle Vernon?" Harry began, Uncle Vernon grunted to confirm he was listening.
"Er — we need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts." Harry continued, and again Vernon grunted.
"Would it be all right if you gave us a lift?"
Another grunt which we supposed meant yes.
"Thank you." Harry replied. We were about to go up stairs when Uncle Vernon spoke.
"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?" Vernon asked. Harry didn't say anything.
"There banned, they're to...noticeable. Might draw suspicion" I replied, remembering the brief chapter on them in Modern Magical History. "Ban was rather recent." I recalled.
There was another long silence before Vernon spoke again.
"Where is this school, anyway?"
"Scotland." I instantly replied. Again helped by my books.
"I see, and what train do you take?" He asked, and this time I was stumped. The book had been about the founding and architecture of Hogwarts, not the modern way to get there.
"We take..." Harry said, then took the ticket out of his pocket. "...We take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.
Both Petunia and Vernon stared.
"Platform what?" Vernon asked in shock.
"Nine and three-quarters." Harry again answered.
"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."
"It's on our tickets." Harry answered.
"Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You two just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."
"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."
We got up at five the next morning, got dressed, checked our Hogwarts lists one last time, and finally secured our owl's in there cages. Harry then started to pace as I sat on our bed and went over everything I had read in my head.
Finally the Dursley's woke, our trunks were loaded into the car, and after twenty minutes of convincing by Aunt Petunia Dudley agreed to sit in the back with us.
We reached King's Cross with Half an Hour to go. Uncle Vernon loaded our trunks onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for us. But the act of kindness faded as soon as we reached Platform's Nine and Ten.
"Well, there you two are. Platform nine — platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?" Uncle Vernon asked us with a nasty grin.
Harry looked at the area in stunned silence, while I glared at the man.
"We'll find it." I replied confidently, though I wasn't as sure as I sounded.
"Have a good term then," Uncle Vernon replied. As the drove off we saw the Dursley's laughing. I was annoyed, while Harry looked worried. I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, like I said we'll find it."
People started to stare at us and our strange belongings. Harry stopped a passing guard, while I looked around the platform for any signs of magic. I couldn't find anything and I soon was starting to worry like Harry. There was ten minutes until Eleven...
"— packed with Muggles, of course —"
We turned at the mention of the word muggle. And found a family of redheads, a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with trunks like ours, and a owl.
Me and Harry looked at each other and followed the group. They stopped in between the platforms.
"Now, what's the platform number?" The mother asked.
"Nine and three-quarters!" a small, also red headed girl asked. She was holding her mother's hand. "Mom, can't I go…"
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."
....
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